Jep! was a short-lived children's version of Jeopardy!, the show airing for one season in 1998.
Gameplay[]
Three child contestants competed. For the first two rounds, they were seated in futuristic chairs (explanation later). As on the adult version, the kid contestants had to buzz-in and phrase in the form of a question. However, unlike in the adult version, the host always gave the contestants a warning. Their responses must be in the form of a question, especially in the first round. Otherwise, they cannot be accepted even if it is correct; therefore, the phrasing rule was the most strict on this version. In the adult version, if the players forgot, the host would remind them in the first round, but there would not be any reminders in the second round.
Differences from the regular show[]
- Smaller Podiums - While the contestant lecterns featured a similar appearance to that of the then-current "sushi bar" set on the adult version, they were smaller in size.
- Colored Podiums - Each contestant's lectern had a different color, similar to that of Wheel of Fortune and its child counterpart Wheel 2000. However, the blue and red lecterns were switched. Therefore, the blue was on the left and the red on the right.
- Scoring - Contestants played for points, not dollars. However, as in the adult version, correct responses added points; incorrect responses deducted points (and in the first two rounds earned an "In Jeopardy!" light, as explained below).
- Game Board - The game board held five categories with four clues each (scaled down from the traditional six topics with five answers on the adult version). Rather than the player calling out an amount for the clue due to its wacky, multi-flow map look, a randomizer was used to select point value. The font for the clues is the same one used on the adult version.
- Signaling Buttons - Large red buttons mounted on the lecterns were used instead of the famous handheld thumb-depressed signaling devices used in the adult version of the show. One button is used to pause the randomizer in the selection of clue point amounts. A 2nd button is used for buzzing in to respond to a clue. Each contestant had two buzzers.
- Buzzer Sounds - When a player buzzed in, a "boing" sound was played. The adult version of the show had a buzzer sound during all of the Fleming era and some of the first season of the Trebek era ("ding"). It was eliminated midway into the first season of the Trebek era.
- The "In Jeopardy" lights - On the adult version of the show, a horizontal panel of nine lights on the player's lectern above the player's score was used to indicate how much time a player who rung in had left to respond. On Jep!, there were only three lectern lights which were designated "In Jeopardy!" lights, which were larger in size compared to that on the adult show. When a player gave an incorrect response during the first two rounds, not only did the player have points deducted, but one of the three lights lit up in red. Getting one red light meant that a "vat" above the player's head would "cook" up to something, usually Styrofoam peanuts or packaging items. Two lights signal the "vat" would open up, spilling its contents on the player's head. Three lights meant that the player still seated in his/her chair would return to the wall behind the podium from when he/she came at the beginning of the show. The player is unable to respond to the next clue. After one clue, the player and his/her chair returned, and the player's "In Jeopardy!" lights reset. In case the player controlling the board got sent behind the wall, the player of the remaining two with the lowest score chose a clue.
The Jep! Round[]
Point values ranged from 100 to 500 points.
The Hyper Jep! Round[]
Similar to Double Jeopardy on the adult version of the program. Point values were doubled, meaning that they ranged from 200 to 1,000.
Daily Doubles[]
The Daily Double clues worked the same way as on the adult version of the program. The contestant who selected it can wager any/all of his/her current score. They can also wager up 500 or 1000 depending on the round if he/she had anything less than that. A correct response added the wager to the player's score. But an incorrect acknowledgment deducted it from the player's score (and also received an "In Jeopardy" light); The logos used from the Daily Doubles is the Season 14 (1997-98) logo.
Special clues[]
In addition to the Daily Doubles, there were two unique clues in each of the first two rounds. They were:
- The Jep! Squad: A kid from anywhere in America read the clue via pre-recorded video. This was a forerunner to the regular version's Clue Crew.
- Jep! Prize: In addition to the points, the player who answered correctly also won a merchandise prize (first handed to the player by host Bergen, later delivered down from the rafters).
- Fun Fact: If one of either of these is found, the Daily Double siren sound played, while the logo for that clue was presented on the home screen, usually, the Jep! Squad primarily zooming in like a clue and Jep! Prize flipping into the screen like the Daily Double logo.
The Super Jep! Round[]
The round was played the same as the adult version's Final Jeopardy except that even though they could finish with zero or a negative score, no player could be eliminated before the round. All three players played this round. If any player ended the Hyper Jep Round with zero or a negative score, that player's score was increased to 500 points. The other players' scores were raised by the same amount to make things fair. For example, if one contestant had -100, the other two contestants' scores were increased by 600. The category was revealed in the center monitor; during the break, the contestants made wagers. When it was over, the clue was exposed, and the players had 30 seconds while Think plays to write down their responses, which have to be phrased in the question form. When the time was up, they get checked one at a time, beginning with the third-place player's and ending with the first-place player. The player with the most points won the game.
The prize choices[]
At the end of the game, all three contestants got a choice of two prizes. The third-place winner went first and chose one of two third-place-prizes. The second-place winner was next and got a choice of two second-place-prizes. The day's grand prize winner chose last; that player got a choice of two grand prizes.
Music[]
Steve Kaplan
Inventor[]
Based on Jeopardy! by Merv Griffin
Notes[]
- The Jep! theme music differed from the current Jeopardy! theme by the addition of alto sax and electric guitars.
- Jeopardy host Alex Trebek was credited as the show's consultant, but not the host. He also gave some of the clues via the middle monitor on three programs.
- On one show to celebrate the unique TV Tuned in to Kids & Family Week, all three rounds had a category devoted to cable television.
- Except executive producer Scott Sternberg, whose company packaged Jep!, and host Bergen, most of the staff who worked on Jep! also worked on Jeopardy!
- The show was taped at Stage 11 of Sony Pictures Studios, the same studio where Wheel of Fortune tapes. Rock & Roll Jeopardy! was also taped at Stage 11.
- Jep! was going to appear on CBS as part of the 1998-99 US Saturday morning TV schedule replacing The Weird Al Show. But it was bumped and replaced with Birdz because Jep! was only on Game Show Network (GSN).
Gameplay[]
- Contestant announcer - Host Bob Bergen introduced the contestants as well as prize plugs. When came time to introduce him, one of the contestants (usually the one at the blue lectern) did the honor.
- JepTV.com - On a few shows, there was a category called JepTV.com named after the show's website. There was a survey on that site, and some of the questions were about that survey. Most of the others were about the Internet itself.
- Triple Dump - All three contestants gave one incorrect response or no incorrect responses each after the first two rounds; after that, everybody got dumped anyway. It happened on 3 shows.
- Light pen/Video writer - The contestants on the show not did more than writing down their Super Jep responses using the lectern-mounted light pen systems. They also wrote down their acknowledgments for certain clues during the main game, saying "What is..." aloud and completing the phrasing in writing.
Episode List[]
- 101 - Andrew-Katelyn-Richard (6th Grade)
- 102 - Patricia-Jonathan-Kara
- 103 - Daniel-Brad-Ainee
- 104 - Franklin-Daniel-Torrey (6th Grade)
- 105 - Marty-Andrew-Elizabeth
- 106 - Gus-Robert-Dalynna (6th Grade)
- 107 - Max-Julian-Samantha (7th Grade)
- 108 - Eliza-Kevin-Jared
- 109 - Jamie-Daniel-Joe (7th Grade)
- 110 - Dan-Terri-Donny (7th Grade)
- 111 - Daniel-Angela-Geoff
- 112 - Shannon-Dwight-Michael (7th Grade)
- 113 - Maria-Brian-Erin
- 114 - Jeff-Ursula-David (7th Grade)
- 115 - Francine-Cory-Ilana (5th Grade)
- 116 - Darya-Gilbert-Kyle (5th Grade)
- 117 - Samantha-Josh-Katie
- 118 - Evan-Timothy-Alana
- 119 - Rachael-Danny-Tyler (6th Grade)
- 120 - David-Geoffrey-Amanda
- 121 - Tracy-Roland-Scott (6th Grade)
- 122 - Joe-Kelley-Brian
Trivia[]
- This is the 1st spin-off show.
- This show could be a reference to the Jeopardy! Junior Edition that released on the NES.